The following apology was printed in the Observer's For the record column, Sunday September 26 2004

In our review below of How We Can Save The Planet, we stated that the book's proposal for per capita carbon rationing would result in 'compounding fundamental inequalities between developed and developing countries'. The reverse is true. Its application would shrink the gap between rich and poor countries: those unable to manage within their shares would have to buy the unused parts of the allocations of those able to do so.

How We Can Save the Planet by Mayer Hillman Penguin £7.99, pp195

This ecological manifesto practises what it preaches: its cover is printed on the same natural, recyclable paper as the pages inside. The first and second sections of the book present the facts about climate change and highlight the ineffectual nature of the global measures taken in response, such as the Kyoto Protocol. The third presents the author's own radical solution to the problem: carbon rationing. Hillman was one of the first proponents of carbon rationing on a global and individual basis as the only realistic way to prevent serious damage from climate change. He insists his solution is based on equitable principles, although he fails to acknowledge its potential to compound fundamental inequalities between 'developed' and 'developing' countries: environmental issues must be considered in relation to the broader context of international development. Hillman's political thinking might be disputable, but he provides vital, practical information to help individuals adopt an energy-thrifty lifestyle.

The Curious Life Of Robert Hookeby Lisa Jardine HarperCollins £8.99, pp422

Robert Hooke is perhaps best remembered as the 'man of strange unsociable temper' who claimed to have discovered the Law of Gravity before Sir Isaac Newton. Newton's refusal to make any acknowledgement to Hooke in his Principia Mathematica sparked a fierce and very public row, which resulted in Newton destroying the portrait of Hooke that hung in the Royal Society. Lisa Jardine, who claims to have discovered another portrait of Hooke in the Natural History Museum, presents a prose picture of lively and intricate detail. As well as Newton's sworn enemy, Hooke was a close friend of Sir Christopher Wren, with whom he worked tirelessly to rebuild London after the Great Fire of 1666. A prolific inventor and opium addict, Hooke emerges as a curious figure in both senses of the word. This engaging biography retrieves the man, his genius, and the status he deserves as 'a founding figure in the European scientific revolution.'

The Last Good Timeby Jonathan Van Meter Bloomsbury £8.99, pp296

Do we really need another book about the Rat Pack? Shawn Levy has already documented their whisky-soaked glory days in Rat Pack Confidential. The Last Good Time revisits the seedy nexus of celebrities, politicians and gangsters, but with less panache. This is due partly to Jonathan Van Meter's slack prose style and partly to his choice of subject. Van Meter claims that Paul 'Skinny' D'Amato, owner of the 500 Club in Atlantic City, was 'one of the most quietly influential figures of the 20th century'. It is never really clear what this extravagant claim is based upon. Skinny's list of accomplishments is short and dubious. He might have played a peripheral role in JFK's 1960 presidential campaign (Van Meter never attempts to verify the facts); he was certainly responsible for pairing the mediocre talents of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis at the 500 Club. And he taught Frank Sinatra the coolest way to hold a cigarette. Do we even care any more?